MLB

What was previously a lopsided series just got serious on Monday night (U.S. time), as the Tampa Bay Rays unleashed a fifth-inning barrage to draw even with the Boston Red Sox, and then did their opponents one better in the last two innings to escape with a 5-4 home victory.

The ball bounced twice, getting slowed down, then a third bounce clipped the top of the tarp in front of the seats, ricocheted off the barrier, and struck spectator Doug Crossley of Natick, Massachussetts, in the chin. Luckily, Crossley was wearing a beard, reducing the impact of the ball.

The Dodgers are 92-70 in the 2013 season, first in the NL Western Division. The Braves have done a bit better, going 96-66, good for sixth in the Eastern Division. When both teams start the division series at Atlanta on Thursday, the match-up is expected to be a tussle of the best of the best.

VIDEO: Pittsburgh Pirates Get First Playoff Win Since 1992, Fan Jumps Off Bridge, Lives To Tell The Tale
After the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds in their wild card playoff match-up, 5-2, it seemed like the whole of Steel City got lit up. After all, it was the first playoff appearance for the Pirates -- not to mention their first winning season -- since 1992, and the city's other sports teams, including the Steelers, haven't given residents much to cheer about.

In the Braves' 4-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night, Chris Johnson slid headfirst to first base after hitting a 1-2 grounder, but was out quickly after shortstop Jimmy Rollins made a dive and throw. Johnson lay facedown on the ground, then picked himself up and walked back to the dugout.
Clearly losing his temper, Johnson flipped his helmet towards the bench to consolation pats from teammates. Suddenly, Terry Pendleton grabbed and shoved him.

Coming into Monday's game, the Tampa Bay Rays were riding the wave of a seven-game winning streak to get one of the two last slots for a wild card play-in game. Even though they lost their last two games to the bottom-feeding Toronto Blue Jays, it was some distance from their 4-13 slide prior to September 11, when they were just about fighting for their lives.
The Texas Rangers were similarly struggling just to stay afloat -- they had a good start to September, when a sudden 2-12 stretch t...

Steven Gieseler Jr. of East Islip, Long Island, and his father Steven Sr. were seated at the right outfield of Yankee Stadium, watching the seventh inning of the Yankees' game against the San Francisco Giants. Alex Rodriguez then hit a decisive home run to start a 4-run final two innings to give his team a lift in their already-sagging playoff chances.

In what could be a preview of the 2014 Major League Baseball season opener to be played in Sydney, the Arizona Diamondbacks visited the Los Angeles Dodgers for the third straight game in the series. The Dodgers won the first two games, 8-1 and 5-3, and tried to assert their supremacy over their cross-border rivals. The Dodgers are first in the National League West with an 85-59 win-loss record; the Diamondbacks are at the .500 mark, with 72-72.

Following a month of speculation after acknowledging that he committed "mistakes", Ryan Braun finally admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his landmark 2011 season, during which he was named National League MVP.

On Monday, someone called the Albany sports radio stations 104.5, claiming to be New York Yankees outfielder Shane Spencer and claimed that he is using steroids along with the other members of the Yankees; good thing the fraud was discovered in a day.